


Prudence

by orphan_account



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Jasper is still bitter, M/M, Season 03 or Early Season 04, maya - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-06-30 05:03:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15744834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jasper notices. He notices Monty's resignation, that he can't save him. Notices Monty's guilt. Notices Monty's pain. Notices everything about Monty.The thing he focuses on though, is Monty's flushed, almost shy like reluctance - to which he always gives in - when Jasper plays with him, like they used to.He both wishes - and doesn't - that he could say he used the knowledge for the better.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've only started watching a week ago. I bawled my eyes out at Jasper's death scene tonight. I can't let this pairing go.
> 
> Set sometime before Monty's mom and before he and Harper get together.

 

 

 

It's a sweet thing, the tilt of Monty's head, like a puppy.

"How are you doing Jasper?" Monty asks, cautiously.

Only puppies don't _murder_ people.

"As well as can be expected." Jasper blurts out, blase and uncaring. A new attitude.

There's something vindicating about Monty's cautiousness. Cautious smile, cautious mood. As if he's expecting Jasper to turn and bite him any moment like a bad dog.

There's been enough of that. Even though Jasper can admit the hot impulse of anger that makes him want to injure is still there. He acts on it less and less.

Instead apathy and hedonism vie to mark his traits. At the moment, he's pushing towards hedonism.

Monty lingers, struggling to speak. Like he doesn't really know what to say but he doesn't want to leave yet either.

He kicks his toe into the dirt.

Jasper stares and Monty shrinks from it.

"You, uh, want to hang out tonight?" Jasper asks, to shock him. It has the appearance of an olive branch. And yet - they both know it isn't. Monty reaches out for it anyway.

"Sure." Monty swallows, all nerves, like he's afraid he's going to screw things up.

He used to get like this, in the past.

Jasper always knew why.

Monty, Jasper knows, would like to think he didn't. That his secret was safe.

Monty loves Jasper and that's a fact. Jasper loves - _loved_ \- Monty too and maybe that's why he's never said anything. Because it'd been a different type of love and he hadn't wanted to have to reject Monty. He'd wanted to protect his feelings.

Jasper knows the truth now though. There is no place for love.

Just maybe - it's an illusion. Something that can't exist. And if it exists, well it hurts too much to think about. It's a question that will remain unanswered at any rate, because Jasper doesn't care about that anymore. There's only one thing he cares about now, at the moment - feeling good.

He looks over Monty, slowly from head to toe. So obvious, so heavy handed it's maybe a little degrading.

Monty frowns unhappily, but he flushes. His expressions is puzzled for a fraction of a second before he shrugs it off with a little huff. Like Jasper is playing a game.

"Meet me here tonight, we'll watch the sunset outside the gates." Jasper instructs.

 _It's a date_ Jasper imagines the old Monty would say. This new guilty one, hands soaked in blood, only nods quickly before turning away.

 

 

 

Jasper lingers beforehand, and after hand too, for about twenty minutes until Monty shows up - a little winded. It's obvious he's run here, probably afraid he'll miss Jasper. It's not quite before sunset, already the dark night sky has reclaimed three quarters of the sky.

"Thought you'd never get here." Jasper jokes blandly.

"I'm sorry, something came up." Monty peers at him, "Thanks for waiting."

"Well, let's head out." At Monty's sour look, Jasper amends, "Don't worry Monty, we're not going far."

They end up in the middle of the field. The watchmen at the gate can still see them - know they're there - but it's going to be difficult to make out any details in the long grass.

Jasper sits heavily with an exasperated sigh that's more fake than anything. He can't help if it sounds a little sharp. Monty, of course, notices, and sits gingerly some space away.

"You'd never sit that far away before, come here." Jasper says coldly and warms it up with a fake smile.

Monty reluctantly obeys. When he's just within the reach of the circle of Jasper's arms, Jasper pulls him in. Monty's expression is unsettled.

"Why am I here Jasper?" He asks bluntly.

Jasper's arm is looped around him now, but there's no warmth between them. He tricks Monty into fake camaraderie then by bringing up an element of their past.

"Remember when we played on which planet would you rather and I said roll in the hay, and you literally thought I meant rolling through hay?"

Monty winces at it in exaggerated embarrassment, but cautiously like he doesn't know if he can trust it. He's expecting the other shoe to drop.

Jasper makes him loosen up by laughing loudly, genuine. At the noise Monty's tension eases, he buys back in. Because he always buys back in for Jasper. And it's then that Jasper strikes.

Jasper leans down and kisses Monty.

Monty startles, going stiff with shock, so predictably.

"What the _hell_ Jasper?" Monty hisses when he pulls away, face red.

There's a lot in his expression. Hurt and betrayal feature predominantly - as if _Monty_ 's the wounded party. There's a flash of anger that whips through Jasper but he pushes it down. He can't stop his shark smile though.

"Not what you were expecting?" He asks, a little nasty about it.

To anyone else, Monty's expression would give away nothing. But Jasper _knows_ him. More intimately than he's ever known anyone. That fact remains, however much Jasper tried to wish it away at first.

Monty shakes off his arm but he doesn't move away.

"whatever that was about -" Monty begins, already trying to patch things over, and immediately Jasper cuts him off with a scoff.

"Please, spare me. We both know you want it."

"I didn't say that!" Monty defends, scandalized.

"No. But I know that." It's said firmly, bitterly, and Monty's response falls flat.

Eventually Monty comes back weakly with, "I _didn't_ say that."

Jasper chuckles, it's an ugly broken sound. He lays back in the grass. It's getting almost too dark to see, until their eyes adjust.

"Did you think you weren't obvious?" Jasper responds dully, "I'm sure everyone knew."

"Wh-" Monty begins before cutting himself off.

_Why didn't you say anything?_

Even if Monty's not saying it, Jasper knows.

"I didn't say anything," Jasper sits back up as he says it, watches Monty's face closely, "because I didn't want you."

Pain breaks across Monty's face, leaving any plausible deniability in the dust. He schools it quickly though, looks away. Jasper almost expects him to get up and try to leave but he's frozen.

Quite suddenly, Jasper's unsure of his own motives. This was supposed to be a pleasure inducing experience. He was supposed to use Monty's soft cautiousness to open the door for a different type of experience between them. Instead he's lured him here to cause him pain.

It doesn't sit well with him, examining his own motives. So he's maybe a little rough when he pushes Monty back into the grass. He kisses him again - a little fumbling, a little hard.

"Stop." Monty squeaks out weakly, hands pushing at Jasper's chest.

"Let me Monty," Jasper spits, then deliberately gentles his tone, "You've wanted this, right? You're sweet when you're unsure of me."

Monty has every reason to be unsure of him. But he doesn't stop him when he leans down to kiss him again. This time Jasper traces the seam of Monty's lips with his tongue before pushing inside. This time Jasper's hands roam, invading Monty.

The moment he's able to take a small breath Monty says stop again, voice breaking on the word.

"I only brought you out here because you were an easy target. _Low hanging fruit_. Otherwise, why the hell are you here?" Jasper doesn't mean to say it. The vitriol just leaks out.

Monty's beneath him, expression obscured by the dark. It doesn't matter. Jasper doesn't need to see to know what he's feeling. A beat of empathy - that he _hates_ , that he's tried to kill - runs through him.

Monty's eyes shine in the darkness. Wetness gathering, but not tears. Not for the 300-odd people he's killed. Monty doesn't cry easy.

"You gonna fucking _cry_?" Jasper barks out, "You're so fucking selfish. _Evil_. And I don't love you anymore. I _hate_ you. We're not brothers! We never were. I shouldn't have saved you, I should have let them drill you."

Quite suddenly, Monty is crying.

The sob breaks loudly against the otherwise peaceful night.

There are contradictory impulses warring inside Jasper. To soothe, to _hurt_.

Monty's hands reach for him, tug at him. They try to pull him down, weakly, but Jasper doesn't go.

"I'm sorry." Monty blubbers ungracefully, and Jasper has never seen him cry, "I'm sorry I did this to you."

The words stun maybe and that's why Monty's able to get a firm grasp. To pull Jasper down into a hug.

"Sorry Jasper, I'm sorry." Monty repeats, words muddled by tears.

Jasper feels tears prick his eyes.

"I don't forgive you." He whispers dryly, because he just can't.

"It's ok, it's ok." Monty says.

And if feels like permission somehow. Like it's okay for Jasper to just use Monty for comfort and throw him away afterward.

Jasper sinks into the embrace, feels tears on his own face.

"I'm not gonna - " Jasper begins but Monty shushes him, rocks them a little together.

They don't do much except cry into each other's arms. Jasper notices though, that Monty's tears dry a lot faster.

 

 

 

When it's over Jasper pulls himself up. He knows he has a tear stained face and puffy eyes. Monty looks a little under the weather but otherwise untouched. Neither of them are looking their best.

It's nearly sunrise.

Monty sits unhappily.

"You better get back." He says blandly.

He looks thoroughly demoralized. Like he expects that Jasper hates him.

"Hey," Jasper rouses softly until Monty looks at him, still cautious.

He holds out his hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Harper

 

 

 

Jasper is wasted a lot. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't.

He refrains, a little, in Monty's presence. He still doesn't forgive him. Yet, there's something suspiciously like shame that wriggles around in his stomach when Monty appears, when Jasper's behavior puts that _look_ on Monty's face.

It's unfair that it has such power over him.

He tries not to let it, overcompensates and gets nasty about it sometimes.

Like now, when Monty walks up to him at the bar, mouth twisted into a frown.

"If you're going to be a buzzkill, go buzz elsewhere." Jasper warns.

His tone conveys he's not in a good mood. Monty visibly steels himself against it and continues.

"I was wondering if you'd like to do a day trip with the group. We're hunting and scavenging."

"Yeah, no thanks." Jasper dismisses.

Frustration is simmering under Monty's surface.

"It'll be good for you to do something constructive, and we need people."

He lays it out logically, like that'd ever be enough.

"You're a robot, you know that? I mean, God, do you even feel any emotion?"

"It's what's best - " _for our people_ is all Jasper hears. He slams his drink down against the counter violently enough that Monty shrinks back for a second, before getting his bearings.

"I don't give a _fuck_ what's best."

There's silence for a long moment. Monty swallows, visibly, clears his throat.

Harper turns up in the doorway and walks over, obvious to the situation.

"Monty, are you ready to go?" She says to insert herself in the scene, she cools her gaze when she looks at Jasper, "Are you coming too Jasper?"

"No." Jasper answers and turns back to his drink.

 

 

 

It's a while before Jasper catches on. How wherever Monty turns up Harper's not too far behind. Monty turns up in Jasper's vicinity a lot, ergo Harper.

Jasper has been shaking Monty off but when he realizes he lets Monty find him somewhere obscure, a little private.

They're in a hallway before a big window that overlooks Arkadia.

"Jasper." Monty greets, pretending like he didn't go out of his way to find him. Has incidentally come across him.

"So - you and Harper huh?" Jasper asks without preamble.

Monty rears back at that a little, his ears turn red.

"She made the first move right?" Jasper asks.

Monty seems reluctant to talk about it but eventually nods. Jasper lulls him into a false sense of security by turning to gaze out the window. After a quiet moment Monty joins him.

"I-I love Harper." Monty begins, letting down his guard.

 _But not like you love me_ Jasper guesses.

"She slept with you." Jasper asks tonelessly.

Monty is a romantic, it's completely like him to get swept up.

"We...we did." Monty says shyly.

"And who wanted more - was that her or you?" Jasper asks, although he already knows the answer. He turns to Monty and catches his frown.

"Me." Monty says quietly, unable to lie to him.

Suddenly he seems a little ashamed of himself.

"Look Jasper, please don't...please don't tell Harper I told you." Already Monty seems wary of trusting Jasper.

And he really should be.

"I can see why she would like you." Jasper says quietly.

Hope and something sad and flattered break across Monty's expression.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"Yeah." Jasper answers, smiling a little, in that same old sing song tone they used to use with each other.

 

 

 

There are lots of justifications for why Jasper does what he does next - Monty gets a first with his true love while Jasper and Maya never had the chance, Monty's first time should have been Jasper by all rights, Monty's in love with _Jasper_ , Jasper wants to hurt Monty, and - Harper doesn't even love Monty.

So she doesn't love Monty - but there is someone she likes and Jasper knows just who that is.

He sees her in the rec room while he's getting drunk. She overacts it and that's how he knows he still has her.

"I'm just looking for Monty." She explains at her presence.

And it makes sense. Because Monty is always trailing after Jasper.

"He's not here. But come - enjoy." Jasper invites a little manically.

For a second he isn't sure she will, but then she does.

He's not exactly nervous. He's had offers but it's the first time he's ever intended to follow through save for - Monty. And maybe - despite how messed up it would have been - it should have happened with Monty.

She sits beside him, and in the next few minutes she's all but curling into him.

He wraps an arm around her shoulders as they sit there. It's only a moment before they're leaning even further into each other.

She's playing Monty and she's playing Jasper but it doesn't matter. Because for the moment what she wants and what Jasper wants align.

Jasper doesn't do coy.

"Wanna come back to my room?" He asks.

Harper nods.

 

 

 

"We can't tell Monty." She says when they're alone.

Which actually surprises Jasper to hear.

"Right, because you really love him." Jasper scoffs.

"Well I know you don't hate him, even if you pretend to." Harper snaps back sassily.

"Fine." Jasper agrees, while having no intention of honoring it.

"Okay then." Harper says, smiling seductively, before she gets to work.

 

 

 

It's a first time Jasper could do without. But bitterness keeps him rooted in the room. Harper enjoys it.

And it turns out that Jasper keeps his promise of not telling Monty after all.

Monty walks right into his unlocked quarters and finds them in bed, still panting through the aftershocks.

The look he gives them is indecipherable, flat. So much so that for a moment Jasper thinks he was mistaken, that maybe Monty wasn't as love struck as he thought.

" _Monty_." Harper draws out, regretful.

"I get why he would do this. But you _Harper_ -" Monty's voice breaks on her name.

But he pauses, to give her time to explain herself.

Jasper meanly grins from the bed, despite how sick he feels inside.

Pain does creep into Monty's expression at that.

"I-I'm sorry Monty." She says, but it sounds insincere even to Jasper's ears.

When no other explanation is forthcoming Monty retreats.

 

 

 

Jasper's the one who ends up going after Monty.

 

 

 

He finds him in front of the window.

"What?" Monty asks harshly.

He's not crying, but he's holding his hands over the side of his face, shielding himself.

Jasper shrugs.

"You really _hate_ -" And Monty's voice cracks again.

Jasper doesn't immediately refute it but he feels the wrongness of the statement.

He wants to reach out for Monty. But he doesn't dare.

"Low hanging fruit, right?" Monty says sadly. "That's all we are to you."

It couldn't be further from the truth.

Jasper finds himself tongue tied.

"That was cruel to do that to Harper, even though she -" and Monty struggles to finish the sentence, realizes it sounds like he's talking more about himself than Harper, "-she wanted to. She knows why you did."

It's just like Monty, to be defending Harper - who has just cheated on him.

"You're going to forgive her." Jasper says, in consternation.

He doesn't like the idea of it.

Monty doesn't answer.

"You've already forgiven me." Jasper spits in sudden understanding.

It arouses his anger for a moment before it fades.

"You're the whole damn tree!" he shouts, before he leaves Monty to suffer on his own.

 

 

 

Jasper doesn't know whether he wants to chop the tree down or take shelter in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
